96-11616. Endocrine Disruption by Chemicals: Next Steps in Chemical Screening and Testing; Open Meeting

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 8, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20814-20815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11616]



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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OPP-00436; FRL-5369-8]


Endocrine Disruption by Chemicals: Next Steps in Chemical 
Screening and Testing; Open Meeting

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

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SUMMARY: Recent research indicates that environmental endocrine 
disruptors need more attention by chemical and pesticide regulators. 
The EPA will hold a meeting on May 15 and May 16, 1996 in the 
Washington, DC metropolitan area to discuss how EPA can work 
cooperatively with industry, the environmental community, academia and 
others to develop a screening and

[[Page 20815]]

testing strategy to identify chemicals that may pose significant risks 
through endocrine disruption. This notice announces the location and 
times for the meeting and sets forth tentative agenda topics. EPA has 
invited 20 representatives of industry, the environmental community, 
academia, and government to this meeting. The meeting is open to the 
public, but space for observers is limited. The meeting is structured 
to allow the invited participants to discuss items on a predetermined 
agenda. However, at the end of the first day, there will be thirty 
minutes of open discussion.

DATES: The meeting will be held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on May 15, 1996, 
and 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on May 16, 1996.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, 
1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia 22202. A meeting room 
will be announced in the hotel.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Observers can register by calling 
Donald Walker, TASCON Corporation, at [phone], ext. 251. To 
obtain general information about the meeting, contact Sheryl K. Reilly, 
Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, by phone 
[phone]. Persons who cannot attend the meeting, but wish to 
comment, should send comments to Sheryl K. Reilly, Office of Pesticide 
Programs (7501C), Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M St., SW., 
Washington, DC 20460. Office Location: Rm. 1119, Crystal Mall #2, 1921 
Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA; e-mail: 
[e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As an indication of the public's concern 
about endocrine disruptors, the Senate recently passed a bill by a vote 
of 99 to 1 that would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to require EPA 
to initiate a screening and testing program for environmental estrogens 
within two years of its effective date, with discretionary authority to 
expand this effort to other kinds of endocrine disruptors. Although EPA 
has recently proposed new test guidelines for reproductive and 
developmental toxicity, subjecting all 600 pesticides and 80,000 
existing chemicals would be an enormous challenge. How to develop a 
screening and testing program for environmental estrogens and other 
hormone-like substances is the focus of this meeting. EPA expects that 
approximately twenty invited representatives from various organizations 
will participate in the two-day program. Ongoing activities to address 
endocrine disruption at the EPA will be reviewed, and key issues, 
identified by the invited participants, will be discussed. EPA's 
objective in convening this meeting is to obtain the input of key 
stakeholders on the prospect of forming a multi-stakeholder scientific/
technical taskforce to develop a chemical screening and testing 
strategy.
    The tentative agenda of the meeting includes the following:
    1.  Overview of EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) 
activities related to endocrine disruptors and discussion of the draft 
ORD research strategy.
    2.  Identification and discussion of key issues.
      a.  How should we begin the development of a screening and 
testing strategy?
      b.  What would be the objectives of the screening and testing 
strategy?
      c.  Should we focus initially on the reproductive hormone system?
      d.  What role should structure-activity/SAR-like screens play?
    3.  Discussion of the taskforce concept.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection.

    Dated: May 3, 1996.

Lynn R. Goldman,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic 
Substances.

[FR Doc. 96-11616 Filed 5-7-96; 8:45 am]
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